Top of the food chain
by 68hawkeyefan
Summary: Jimmy learns that Luther Swann has secrets he never could have imagined.


_This is a crossover with V Wars but there is no tag for it. _

_This happens when I first binge-watch Vampire Diaries and then V-Wars. It's a one shot, but who knows, maybe I'll expand the story at some point._

Luther Swann looked through binoculars down at the camp, where the Bloods kept humans locked up so they could use them as food source later.

Jimmy was lying next to him with his own binoculars. "Security is really good down there; I can't find a weak point."

"Neither can I." Luther sighed resignedly. "We don't have enough fighters to free them."

He looked through the binoculars again and noticed a man whose clothes were a little too immaculate, who seemed a little too unimpressed with his surroundings and what was the most unsettling, he didn't look scared.

His body language showed that he didn't fear the bloods who were surrounding him and the other prisoners. It was clear that he was not like the other humans who knew all too well why they were here and what was going to happen to them.

"Oh, you have to be kidding me! What is he doing here? "

"What's going on?" asked Jimmy startled; he was not used to such blatant outbursts from Swann. Sure, Luther had changed a lot in the past 4 months, but the person who Jimmy had seen just now a glimpse off was in a completely different league. In Luther's eyes lurked for a moment a creature, which even a Blood would have feared to cross.

„I recognized an old acquaintance of mine in the camp who I haven't seen in a very long time."

"Well, it was only a matter of time until this happened to one of us", replied Jimmy confused. "But unfortunately there is nothing we can do to rescue him."

Luther snorted amused. "As if he would need our help to rescue him! If he is here for the reason I think he is, it is the Bloods, who needs help, not that I would give it to them. Well, it could be worse; it could be his brother down there, then we would really be in trouble and this situation would end with absolute certainty in a bloodbath. "

"What are you talking about?"

"Let me put it that way." Luther nodded down at the man in the prison camp. "He is relatively reasonable, you can talk to him and as long as you don't annoy him too much, he lets you live."

Luther grinned evilly. Jimmy could swear that Luther was reminiscing with nostalgic feeling things that Jimmy really didn't want to know about.

"He has always been our favourite! His brother, on the other hand, is a murderous psychopath with the self-control and the emotional maturity of a toddler."

Luther laughed. "And by the way, this says my old self who had a reputation to be crazy and impulsive. It looks like my past has finally caught up with me. I have to talk to him."

"How? You can't sneak into the camp to meet him. The Bloods would discover you immediately."

"I don't need to sneak in the camp! He will hear me as soon as I speak his name a little louder."

"You are talking nonsense. Your friend will never hear us from this distance, even if you shouted his name with full lung volume", objected Jimmy. "Even the Bloods can't us hear from this distance and we can't get any closer to the camp because than they would hear us and we would attract their attention."

Luther laughed oddly. "I never said that he was my friend, we were only allies occasionally. If he gets mad, he is a really scary son of a bitch. Even my old self never dared to mess with him after I got to know him. I mean I always enjoyed riling his brother up but then he was never rational in his reactions and that was always his Achilles heel." Luther smirked.

"Forgive me Luther, but I can't imagine you as a person who enjoys it to make himself enemies or has practice in it. Don't misunderstood me, you are not a coward but you are not a fighter either. Sure, you got tougher in the last four months but you are not devious or hard enough that the Bloods will ever think of you as a serious enemy."

Luther laughed again but there was a bizarre note, which Jimmy didn't quite understand. "You are absolutely right; the human you get to know in the last months is not a serious threat to the Bloods."

Jimmy shivered, there was an undertone in Luther's reply that frightened him. Again was there this hint of another personality that jarred with the person Jimmy had gotten to know in the last year.

Luther noticed Jimmy's reaction to his words and for a moment, his eyes were sad before they hardened again. "Let's get this over with." And in a slightly raised voice Luther spoke, "Elijah!"

Jimmy heard authority, which was not surprising, and a control in Swann's voice, which spoke of age and experience that he could not understand. And what was more important, the unwavering security that Elijah would hear him. And it looked like Luther's confidence was perfectly justified.

The man raised his head and fixated unerringly on their position, which could not be a coincidence.

"Do you recognize my voice? Do you know who I am?"

The man nodded surreptitiously.

"Do you need my help, Elijah?"

Elijah shook his head.

"I assume you're here to spy on the Bloods?"

Elijah nodded again.

"Is your brother around?"

Elijah shook his head.

"Thank God, that's good news at least."

Jimmy saw through the binoculars how Elijah grinned with too much teeth.

"Are you here on his orders?"

Elijah nodded than shook his head.

"So nothing has changed between you two! I guess he's not particularly enthusiastic that the Bloods now consider themselves the new top of the food chain?"

Elijah shrugged nonchalant, then nodded, again with a grin that made Jimmy shiver.

"When you've completed your mission, will you help the humans by their escape?"

Jimmy noticed that Luther didn't say 'the other humans'. He sounded as if for him Elijah didn't count as a human.

Elijah nodded more pronounced.

Luther sighed. "Promise me, Elijah that you keep the death count of the humans as low as possible."

Jimmy saw through the binoculars how Elijah's mouth uttered the words "I promise".

"Then have fun. Show the Bloods that there are beings out here who are more powerful, older and dangerous than they can ever hope to be."

Elijah nodded and grinned again with too many teeth.

"I'll be in the next town for a few more weeks. Visit me if you want! Just do me a favour, come without your asshole of a brother."

Jimmy saw how a Blood nearby was staring at Elijah. "Luther", he said warningly.

"I see him and so does Elijah", answered Luther. And true enough, Elijah was looking at the Blood as well but it was not the look of a victim it was the look of a predator who was targeting his prey.

"This Blood is as good as dead," Luther said softly, but there wasn't much pity in his voice.

"Are you kidding me? This Blood looks like he wants to eat Elijah. And there are at least 100 other bloods in the camp. Your friend Elijah has no chance against one of them, let alone is he capable of saving the people in the camp", said Jimmy incredulously.

"Show him, Elijah, if your mission allows it," whispered Luther.

Elijah looked to them again, and then he looked around to see if there were any witnesses nearby. Amazingly enough, all humans who had been in Elijah's vicinity had disappeared as soon as they had seen how the Blood was eyeing Elijah. Both were now alone in a dark corner.

"It is just me or are humans getting better at developing survival instincts", murmured Luther but Jimmy didn't think that it was him who Luther spoke to.

Jimmy watched how Elijah stood motionless there as the Blood rushed towards him but Elijah still showed no trace of fear.

Now the Blood stood in front of Elijah and Jimmy incredulous saw how Elijah's hand stuck in the chest of the Blood. Then, with a casual movement that shocked Jimmy, Elijah tore the heart out of the chest of the Blood.

"I've always loved this trick after Elijah showed it to me. It is a long time that I used it one someone but especially recently I deeply regret that I don't have the physical abilities anymore to apply it anymore," Luther said thoughtfully.

Jimmy started in surprise at Luther's callous words, who, as if he could feel the look, turned to face him and Jimmy didn't recognize the person who was looking at him now. Luther's eyes were wise, older than his actual age, full of regret and at the same time filled with a malice and a cruelty that surpassed everything he had ever seen in the eyes of a Blood.

"Who are you really, Luther?" asked Jimmy afraid.

"My real name is Damon Salvatore and I was born in 1840, killed in 1864 and lived until 2018 as a vampire before I was turned back to a human."

Jimmy looked sceptical. "You are joking, right?"

Damon sighed. "I wish I was. I lived twenty years as a human and I was happy even though I lost the love of my life. I became a scientist who helped humans to combat illnesses. I wanted to make amends for the terrible deeds I committed and then it went suddenly all to shit one year ago."

Jimmy looked down to Elijah who seemed to listen fascinated to them, his right hand still bloodied.

"I had forgotten who I was and what I was capable of. I was married to my third wife and I had a son with my second wife who reminded me sometimes a little too much of Katherine, my first love even if she wasn't worthy of it."

Elijah had jerked his head up but Jimmy couldn't determine which part of Luther's words had created this reaction.

"I had forgotten that I had once been a merciless killer and I wasn't especially sad to lose this part of me. But then I had to kill my third wife because she turned into a Blood and tried to kill my son and me. And after that I had to fight for my life and the life of my son again and again.

The person you met was not an act, Jimmy, I had only forgotten how it was to fight and to kill. And even then I tried to do the right thing!

I risked the life of my second wife and revealed in the hearing that Niklos blackmailed me with her life. I told the truth about the camps, where parts of the government hold the Bloods and the plans they had for them.

I thought I had stopped the war if only for the moment but then Calix Niklos poisoned the BloodSup, twenty thousand Bloods died and every chance of a temporary peace was lost.

I tried to save my son but then Niklos turned himself in a Blood, murdered my second brother and kidnapped my son. His minion shot me and left me for dead. After surviving Calix's attempt to kill me, I decided I had enough."

"You changed back to your old self", said Jimmy numbly.

"Oh believe me, not all the way, I'm still a better person than my old self was. As a human I can't flip my switch." Damon hesitated. "Well I could but then I would never see Elena and Stefan again and I want to see them again."

"Who were they?"

"My first wife and my brother, not that my chances are especially great to see them ever again", answered Damon willingly enough but he looked sad. "Like I said I was not a good person."

Jimmy looked down to the camp again to avoid Luther's eyes. "Where is he?"

"What do you mean?" asked Damon and followed Jimmy's gaze.

"Elijah and the corpse are gone."

"It looks like Elijah is coming to us." Damon put his hand on Jimmy's shoulder. "Don't forget, be polite! Elijah may overlook any insolence coming from me because he knows me and he awaits it from me, but he will not tolerate it from you."

"How does he get here undetected when he's carrying a body?"

"He's a lot faster and stronger than any Blood, he'll be here any moment now."

Out of the corner of his eye, Jimmy saw how something was hurtling toward them with unimaginable speed.

And then Elijah stood in front of them, holding the body casually in one hand before letting it drop to the ground. Elijah looked down at his bloody hand with a scowl.

Without a word, Damon pulled a disinfectant wipe out of his combat vest and held it out to Elijah with a cheeky grin. Elijah shook his head and accepted it with a grin.

"This brings back old memories", said Elijah as he cleaned his hands.

"That it does. How are you, Elijah?"

"I suppose, like you in a way, it's a tough time for all of us. Bloods keep attacking me and then I have to show them the errors of their way." Elijah looked offended.

Damon laughed. "I bet you do."

"I never had the opportunity to give you my condolences about Elena's death. You two didn't have much time together."

"Thank you! No, we didn't, but I never regretted it for a second that I turned human." Damon shrugged. "Except maybe the last year."

"Klaus and I saw your appearance at the hearing. For a moment, I thought Klaus was going to die from a heart attack even though his heart is not beating. For the next few days, the phones between New Orleans and Mystic Falls didn't stand still. We tried to find you, but you vanished after the hearing."

"Senator Sasha Giroux kept me in a Witness Protection Program. She was a decent person and didn't deserve what happened to her."

Elijah looked at him thoughtfully. "You know a lot about the background of everything, which happened with the Bloods, don't you?"

"More than many others, yes."

"We absolutely need to talk with each other after I have accomplished my mission."

Jimmy was good with accents but was unable to determine where Elijah came from. His way of speaking or expressing himself was also strange. It was old-fashioned, a little stilted, and Elijah was very precise in the use of his words.

Damon took out a pen and a pad and wrote something down, tore off a sheet of the pad and gave it to Elijah. "My current address. Come to me when you're done with your business here. But I can't tell you how long I will stay there."

"Then I'll hurry with my mission. The information you have is more important than anything I can learn here."

Damon hesitated briefly, then pulled out a photo. "This is my son. Did you maybe see him somewhere?"

Elijah took it and looked at it. With genuine regret, he said "No, I'm sorry, Damon. Can I keep the photo? I will tell my spies to look for him."

"Yes, keep it. Thank you for this! What about Klaus?" Damon asked with some trepidation.

"Do not worry. You are not wrong with your description of him but he would never dare to touch your son. He would pay dearly if he did that, Caroline and Bonnie would make his life a living hell."

Damon smiled faintly. "I believe you. How is the rest of the gang?"

"Good, Mystic Falls is now protected territory for humans, together enforced by vampires, werewolves and witches."

Jimmy's eyes grow large at Elijah's words.

Elijah sighed. "As much as I'd like to speak longer to you, Damon, I have to go back before the Bloods notice my absence and grow suspicious."

"Yes I understand. For curiosity's sake, does compelling work with Bloods?"

"And how, they're even more vulnerable to it than humans. And when I as an Original use my power on them, their reactions are even more astounding." Elijah looked down at the camp and smiled nastily.

"Interesting. Be safe, Elijah."

"You too, Damon." Elijah went to Damon and hugged him. Then he turned to Jimmy with a smile. "Excuse my rudeness, I didn't want to ignore you, but I have only little time and I wanted to spend it with my friend." Elijah looked at Damon. "And I see you as my friend, Damon."

"No problem, Mr.?"

"Mikaelson but you can call me Elijah."

"I completely understand, Elijah, it is no bother. It was really interesting to meet you."

"I have to go. Could you bury the body?"

"We'll take care of it", Damon promised. "Till we meet again, Elijah."

"Till we meet again." With a last nod, Elijah turned and disappeared with the same incredible speed with which he had come.

"Congratulations, you survived your first encounter with an Original", Damon said dryly. "And now help me bury the body in the forest."

"You have to explain some things to me about what you and Elijah were speaking about, I will only mention the words werewolves and witches."

Damon laughed. "I will do that, but not here and not now."

Together the men dragged the body into the forest. The car was not far away and in it were shovels. The two men buried the body and drove away.

When they were a few miles away, Damon said, "As soon as we get back, we're moving headquarters but I'll stay."

"To wait for Elijah?"

"Yes. Don't get me wrong, I trust him but I will not risk everyone else's life."

"A sensible precaution. When will you tell me your story?"

Damon laughed sardonically. "Don't be so impatient, I wouldn't be so keen to be drawn in the shenanigans of my previous life if I were you. Have you never heard the phrase 'Be careful what you ask for'?"

"I have and can it get worse anymore?"

"Oh, one thing I have learned in my long life, it can always get worse."


End file.
